Gauteng Premier David Makhura has called on politicians and ordinary South Africans to foster an obsession with ethical leadership and clean governance. Makhura said this was the only way to realised President Cyril Ramaphosa’s new dawn.

Makhura made the comments at the closing of the Kgalema Motlanthe Foundation’s inclusive growth conference which took place in the Drakensberg.

Makhura said corruption could not and would not be eliminated by simply trying to catch those guilty of stealing and looting. He said the government needed to make it impossible for civil servants to steal.

Briefly.co.za gathered that Makhura noted that more than a few civil servants in the country would pass competency exams but would struggle to pass a test based on integrity, morals, values and ethics.

News24.com reported that he said: "I know there are very competent civil servants whose ethical and moral standing is not so good - very competent - but whose ethical and moral grounding is very questionable."

Makhura added that South Africans should demand that all civil servants subject themselves to lifestyle audits. The Gauteng premier noted that this view was likely to be unpopular among his colleagues and peers and could land him in trouble.

Makhura urged President Ramaphosa to add lifestyle audits to the requirement for appointing public servants.

He said South Africa had finally emerged from a dark period in its history, but warned that reforms in the way the government is run won’t take effect overnight.

President Ramaphosa told delegates on Friday that the government still faced massive problems and was near collapse. Ramaphosa said his administration could not feel any sense of pride while hospitals could not help the sick, schools had no books and housing projects remained unfinished.